FRAC Challenge

Today, Karen and I begin the FRAC challenge. FRAC stands for the Food Research and Action Center, a leading national non-profit group, working with a variety of regional partners to eradicate hunger and undernutrition in the U.S.

The FRAC challenge is to try to get by on $4.00 a day per person in food costs, which is the equivalent of a food stamp or SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) allotment for one day. We will be doing this for the next three days and then again in as many subsequent weeks as we can manage.

The point is not to attack SNAP. In addition to raising the minimum wage, it is the best strategy we have to end hunger. But SNAP, which has roughly an 80 billion dollar federal budget, is likely to be cut by Congress and cut severely unless citizen concerns are heard. And even though 80 billion sounds like a lot, it translates to a little over $4 a day per person for the 50 million people who take advantage of SNAP. Do the math. 50 X 4 X 365.  That's a lot of people who need just a little bit of support so that they can get on with their day without being overwhelmed by hunger.